Despite the great popularity of Ingemann's secular writings, it is,
nevertheless, his hymns and spiritual songs which will preserve his name
the longest. His first collection of hymns, a small volume of morning and
evening songs, appeared in 1822. This collection was followed in 1825 by
a volume of church hymns, which was enlarged and reprinted in 1843. The
favorable reception of these hymns caused Ingemann to be selected to
prepare the new church hymnal, published in 1855, a task which he
accomplished to the general satisfaction of all.
Ingemann's hymns faithfully reflect his own serene and idealistic nature.
Their outstanding merits are a limpid, lyrical style and an implicit
trust in the essential goodness of life and its Author. Of Kingo's
realistic conception of evil or Grundtvig's mighty vision of existence as
a heroic battle between life and death, he has little understanding. The
world of his songs is as peaceful and idyllic as the quiet countryside
around his beloved Soroe. If at times he tries to take the deeper note,
his voice falters and becomes artificial. But though his hymns on such
themes as sin and redemption are largely a failure, he has written
imperishable hymns of idealistic faith and childlike trust in the
goodness and love of God.
The extreme lyrical quality and highly involved and irregular metre of
many of Ingemann's hymns make them extremely difficult to translate, and
their English translations fail on the whole to do justice. The
translation given below is perhaps one of the best. It is the work of the
Rev. P. C. Paulsen.
As wide as the skies is Thy mercy, O God;
Thy faithfulness shieldeth creation.
Thy bounteous hand from the mountains abroad
Is stretched over country and nation.
Like heaven's embrace is Thy mercy, O Lord;
In judgment profound Thou appearest.
Thou savest our souls through Thy life-giving word,
The cries of Thy children Thou hearest.
How precious Thy goodness, O Father above,
Where children of men are abiding.
Thou spreadest through darkness the wings of Thy love;
We under their pinions are hiding.
For languishing souls Thou preparest a rest;
The quivering dove Thou protectest;
Thou givest us being, eternal and blest,
In mercy our life Thou perfectest.
The following hymn is also quite popular.
The sun is rising in the east,
It gilds the heavens wide,
And scatters light on mountain crest,
On shore and countryside.
It rises from the valley bright,
Where Paradise once lay,
And bringeth life, and joy and light
To all upon its way.
It greets us from the land afar
Where man with grace was crowned,
And from that wondrous Morning Star,
Which Eastern sages found.
The starry host bow down before
The sun that passes them;
It seems so like that star of yore
Which shone on Bethlehem.
Thou Sun of Suns, from heaven come,
In Thee our praises rise
For every message from Thy home
And from Thy Paradise.